Apparatus for extracting gold and silver from ores



(No Model.)

L. M. HOWE 8v L. A. GATES.

APPARATUS POR EXTRAGTING GOLD AND SILVER FROM GRES. No. 454,538.Patented June 23,1891.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS M. IIOWE, OF GREENVOOD, AND LEVIS A. GATES, OF SAN FRANCISCO,ASSIGNORS TO HENRY J. POSTEL, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

APPARATUS FOR EXTRACTING GOLD AND SILVER FROM ORES.

SPECIFICATION forming part f Letters Patent No. 454,538, dated June 23,1891.

Application led April 18, 1890. Serial No. 348,543. (N0 model.)

j To all whom it may concern:

' and it consists of certain details of construction, which will be morefully explained by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which-Figure l is a vertical section taken through the apparatus. Fig. 2 is ahorizontal crosssection on line .fr o: of Fig. l.

A is an exterior chamber, made of brick or any other suitable material,and adapted to contain a melted or liquid metal, which will take up andseparate the precious metals from the ore or refuse. Through the centerof this chamber from top to bottom extends a vertical shaft B, which hasa step in the center of the bottom, and may have any suitable connectionat the top by which it can be turned. Upon the lower end of this shaftare fixed the arms C, which project out to near the sides of the easing,then extend upwardly, as shown at C', and have the inwardly-projectingarms C2 fixed to them at intervals.

Around the outside of the shaft B is a sleeve D, which also extends downthrough the top of the apparatus and down to a point just above the armC, where it has projecting from it the arms E. These arms E projectbetween the arms C2, and these two sets of arms may be moved in oppositedirections, so as to stir and agitate the pulverized ore or material,which is delivered into the bottom of the cylinder and below thesestirring-arms.

Above the arms C2 is fixed a perforated disk F, and beneath this disk isxed another disk G, having perforations corresponding with those in F.rlhis disk may be turned with relation to the disk F by a rod G', so asto close or open the holes, the two working with relation to each otherlike an ordinary circular damper.

At intervals above the disk F are other perforated disks I-I and H',situated at equal or any suitable distances from each other and from the-disk E, and beneath each of the disks H and I'I are the stirring-armsI, projecting from the sleeve D and operated therefrom.

Above the upper perforated plate H is the 6o chamber J, of considerabledimensions, forming the upper part of the cylinder and having adischarge-opening K leading out to one side.

Passages L, opening into the top of the cylinder, serve to admit astrong blast of heated air, the object of which will be describedhereinafter. j

Upon one side of the chamber A is formed a circular chamber M, standingin a vertical plane and having its lower portion opening 7o into thebottom of the chamber A by a passage N. lVithin this vertically-arrangedchamber M is journaled a wheel O, standing also in the vertical planeand having the horizontal shaft or axis P, upon which it turns. By meansof a beveled gear Q and a shaft R motion may be given to this wheel O.The periphery of this wheel is formedinto an inclined chamber S, whichextends all the way around, forming a sort of double rim into which theore is fed 8o by means of a screw or worin T, traveling in a suitablecase, which delivers through the passage U into the chamber S on the rimof the wheel O. The rotation of this wheel carries the material downbeneath the surface of 8 5 the liquid metal, which fills the chamber Aand also the chamber M, and delivers it through the opening N in thelower part of the chamber A.

In order to discharge the ore from the chan- 9o nel S in the rim of theconveying-wheel,we have fixed an adjustable scraper or mold-board W,something like that of an ordinary plow, so that it will project intothe carrying-channel at or near the lowest point, which it reaches bythe revolution of the wheel, and this moldboard acts to turn thematerial out of the channel, where it is partially held up to this timeby the pressure of the liquid or melted metal against it, and by thismold-board it is loc the ore. 25.

delivered into the bottom of the chamber A, as before described. Thismaterial is usually ore Which contains either of the precious materialspulverized to a condition of very fine powder, and by means of thestirrers C', C2, and E it is agitated and caused to gradually rise upthrough the metal and through .the openings in the disks or perforatedplates Gr F, thence rising up through the space to the next disk H it isstill agitated by the arms l, and eventually passes through the holes inthe plate or disk H, rising again to the perforated disk H and beingstirred at this point also until the Whole of the material has risen upthrough the openings in the disks and to the surfaceof the liquid metalWithin the apparatus, this surface being a short distance above theupper disk H', as shown at the line which indicates it. At this point,When the ore rises above the surface of the metal, it is subjected to astrong blast of superheated air, which separates any of the liquid metalfrom the ore and prevents its being carried off with The fine dust ofthe ore, which has by this time been separated from the preciousmetalsmill be discharged through the opening K by reason of the blast,aud the operation of the apparatus Will thus be continuous.

Having thus described our invention, what We `claim as new, and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is-

An apparatus for separating gold and silver from their ores, consistingof a main cylindri- -cal chamber adapted to contain molten metal andhaving transverse perforated diaphragms xed within it, a vertical shaftextending through the chamber and provided with radiating arms C, havingupturned ends provided With inwardly-projecting arms C2, a sleevesurrounding the shaft having the arms E radiating therefrom between thearms C C2 and beneath the lower diaphragm, a supplemental perforateddiaphragm Gr beneath the lower fixed diaphragm, a rod G', connected Withthe supplemental diaphragm and rotatable so as to open or close theholes in the fixed diaphragm, the arms I, carried by the sleeve D andoperating under the fixed diaphragms, a supplemental chamber at one sideof the main chamber, and feed mechanism, whereby ore may be deliveredfrom said supplemental chamber into the lower part of the main chamberbeneath the perforated diaphragms, substantially as herein described.

In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands.

Louis M. Hot/VE. LEWIS A. GATES.

lVitnesses:

S. H. NoURsE, H. C. LEE.

